Hikari to Yami
by THIboxNK
Summary: A difference that could mean the destruction or the salvation of Konoha may give two brothers something they never dared to dream of. ItaSasu. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Itachi and Sasuke would be the main characters, with Neji and Hinata (because there has to be a girl on the squad, and I need to put Neji with someone- I like Hyuugacest) as co-stars. That would be my teem seven (despite the fact that Itachi is an S-class missing-nin and Neji is a year older than Hinata and Sasuke). Kakashi would also bee a co-star, because Kakashi rocks. So, yeah, I really don't own Naruto._

A/N: This will take place after teem seven gets back to Konoha after the mission in the land of Waves. I only saw the dub for that part, so forgive any dubbie-ness that shows through if I mention that part. I've only actually seen up to episode eighty-eight in the anime, although I have read a lot of spoilers, so there may be inconsistencies. That doesn't really matter, as I am making this kind of AU-ish. Those points will be easily identified and explained within the content of the fic, so don't worry about misunderstanding anything.

This fic is unbeta'd, so don't mind any grammar or spelling mistakes, please. If I screw up in the Japanese, kindly point it out for me, and I may fix it (or not, who knows). Please enjoy.

**Chapter One**

"_Sasuke-kun…"_

Pain. It was consuming him; he couldn't think or breath, the only thing he could focus on was the burning. He felt as if someone had lit a fire within him and it was slowly moving throughout him, and soon he would be nothing more than a pile of ash. He wanted nothing more than to escape the hell he was in, but he couldn't even remember how he had come to the be there…

"_Let it all go, Sasuke-kun… you won't have to hurt anymore if you do…"_

That voice… it broke through for a moment, and Sasuke was able to collect his being enough to know not to trust it. But the moment of coherency faded and all he could think about was how he wanted nothing more than to escape. Suddenly, he couldn't quite remember why he had been suspicious. He decided to trust the voice, if only for a chance at peace.

"_Good, Sasuke-kun… just forget it all… move past it, and abandon this…"_

And he obeyed. He detached himself from the pain, made it so it was nothing but a tingling, so his thoughts were so quiet he couldn't even hear them himself. For a moment, he thought he saw something: a face, a malicious smirk etched into the pale skin, with the most disgusting eyes he had ever seen… There was Death in those eyes…

And he was numb.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

In the middle of a peaceful forest, a figure lay still. The sun shone on his face through the trees, revealing pale skin and raven hair. His clothes were nothing out of the ordinary, save for the odd symbol of a fan on the back of his dark blue shirt. He wore on the leg of his white shorts a shuriken holster, and he also had on a forehead protector with the leaf symbol of Konohagakure, indicating he was a shinobi of that village.

With his lack of movement and pale complexion, some might assume he was dead, but on closer inspection would discover that his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his fingers twitching somewhat, as if he were experiencing a nightmare. Then, suddenly, he stilled, a peaceful look on his face. It was but a moment later he stirred, lifting his lids to reveal stunning obsidian eyes.

He lifted himself up and glanced around, a look of confusion on his face. Frowning slightly, he picked himself up, only to collapse a moment later, coughing up a small amount of blood before his already unfocussed eyes drifted closed once again, and he lost consciousness.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Uchiha Itachi was annoyed. Although having the Akatsuki splitting into pairs was not exactly annoying in any particular way, Itachi found that the person he had been partnered with made that completely invalid. Kisame was, in a word, irksome. His voice grated on Itachi's nerves (mostly because of his constant use of the damn thing), and his conversations were pointless and only meant to pass the time.

And they did pass the time. They made it go twice as slow, but it still passed.

Now, after about a month of the idiot's company, Itachi was very close to using the Mangekyou on the first living thing they encountered; whether it be a shinobi, a traveler, or a bunny rabbit.

As they headed for Konohagakure- the goals of the Akatsuki to acquire the Kyuubi had been pushed up do to the fact that someone- Itachi didn't care who- had brought up that the Chuunin exam would be coming up soon, and so security would be tighter around the boy, as he would be taking part in the event. The Akatsuki hadn't wanted to have to deal with an extra problem, so they had sent both he and Kisame to take the boy beforehand.

Itachi had been pleased, and almost surprised, when he discovered that Sasuke would be taking part in the event. He wasn't even a year out of the Academy, and yet his teacher- Kakashi, if he wasn't mistaken- had found his teem fit to take place in the Chuunin exam. Itachi himself had waited for a few years before entering, although he had still been almost three years younger than Sasuke when he had passed.

He had also thought it ironic when he found that the Kyuubi vessel was on his brother's teem.

As he and Kisame moved through the forest, Itachi took note that they were now less than an hour's walk away from the village. At their current pace, it wouldn't take them more five minutes. Slowing down suddenly, Itachi was vaguely amused to see Kisame nearly crash into him, grabbing hold of the branch he had previously been standing on to keep himself from leaping into the Uchiha, and dangling there for a moment like a fish on a hook, before lifting himself up onto the branch.

"What did you stop for, Itachi-san?" Kisame questioned him. Itachi didn't answer, but simply jumped down to the forest floor and continued on at a more leisurely pace. Although he didn't show it, Itachi was tense, feeling nearby a familiar chakra of someone he didn't wish to encounter.

He preferred to watch from afar.

It took him a moment to realize how weak the chakra felt. He stopped again suddenly, causing Kisame to once again almost ram into his unpredictable partner. Itachi's eyes narrowed as he reached out his own chakra slightly in an effort to better sense his brother's chakra. His eyes narrowed further, and a frown appeared on his normally stoic face when he felt the slight tint of the chakra: an unnatural subtraction and dulling of his brother's own.

He turned to the direction which he sensed the disturbance from, and once again leapt up into the trees silently, wanting to keep his presence from Sasuke, or possibly whoever had done it to him. They could have been cloaking their chakra and still been in the area, although Itachi doubted it.

When he arrived at the scene, Itachi found something he hadn't been expecting: Sasuke laying there on the ground, clutching his stomach, and coughing up blood. It was just a moment after Itachi arrived that Sasuke promptly passed out, a small amount of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Itachi found it oddly beautiful.

Walking towards his unconscious brother, Itachi found himself frowning once again, the disturbance in Sasuke's chakra more noticeable now that he was closer and could sense it better. Itachi picked him up, and started out of what he then noticed was a small training ground, most likely set up by his brother so the boy could have private training. There were a few shuriken and kunai imbedded in a tree trunk, falling near and around the center of a small drawn target.

For a moment, Itachi found himself reliving one of the many times his brother had come to him, asking for him to help him with shuriken practice….

_Ten-year-old Uchiha Itachi read slowly through a book he had been given by his father, bored with the text concerning the Chuunin exam (in which he would be soon participating- his otou-san wanted him to be prepared). He looked over to the entrance of his room as he heard his otouto slowly push it open and poke his head in shyly._

"_Ano… aniki? Will you help me with my shuriken practice? Otou-san is busy, and Okaa-san is out right now…" Sasuke said. Despite the excuse he used, Itachi could tell that he really wanted to spend time with his older brother. He almost smiled at the thought: Sasuke's attachment to him was just so… and he couldn't believe he was using this word… kawaii._

_Turning his attention back to his book, Itachi tried to ignore the pleading look in his brother's eyes. "Gomen, Sasu-chan, aniki is busy right now. Maybe tomorrow," Itachi said, trying not to let his brother down too much, but knowing that if he didn't refuse, Otou-san would punish Sasuke later for interrupting his studies._

_Sasuke's eyes drifted to his feet, and he fidgeted nervously, his disappointment obvious. "O-oh… Sorry for bugging you, aniki… I'll go away now…" he said, turning to leave the room._

"_Wait," Itachi said before he could stop himself. He hated to see Sasuke sad. "Come here," he commanded. Sasuke stepped towards him, stopping next to the chair Itachi sat in. He reached over and poked his brother hard in the forehead before he had a time to react._

"_Itai!" Sasuke exclaimed, rubbing his head. Itachi couldn't resist smiling at how adorable his brother looked like that. Attempting to glare at Itachi, Sasuke asked, "Why do you always do that, aniki?"_

_Itachi simply continued to smile at Sasuke before turning back to his book and dismissing his brother._

It was a good memory, from a time when Itachi still respected his clan, and his otouto still adored him. There were moments when Itachi wished he could return to that peace and ignorance, and that he hadn't had to go to such drastic measures. It was only his knowledge of what the consequences to Sasuke could have been that he was grateful for his decision.

Feeling his younger brother stir in his arms, Itachi let Sasuke down and kneeled in front of him, ignoring the fact that Sasuke would most likely not take his presence well. As his otouto's dark eyes fluttered open, he was surprised to see that Sasuke didn't immediately lash out at him when he saw Itachi crouched before him.

Sasuke next words were by far more surprising.

"Who are you?"

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

To be continued…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A/N: This fic will be updated chaotically because right now I'm working on another fic, so please don't mind if the chapters come at odd, irregular intervals and vary in length. I will write this when inspired so I don't screw it up with a forced chapter.

Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Be clued in by the fact I've already said this before._

A/N: This chapter is from first person Sasuke's point of view.

**Chapter Two**

"_Who are you?"_ I asked the man in front of me. He was kneeling on the ground, crouching in a position that was reminiscent of a predator ready to leap upon its prey, facing me, staring at me with deep crimson eyes that seemed to be looking more through me than at me. His hair was dark and long, pulled back in a low ponytail save for his bangs. His clothes consisted of a pair of sandals, dark pants, and strange black cloak with red cloud patterned on it that covered half of his face. He was more beautiful than handsome, and had an air or elegance and grace surrounding him.

I already hated him.

He stared at me, frowning as his eyes scanned my body; making me feel uncomfortable and flustered under his gaze. "What are you looking at?" I snapped at him. "And answer my question: who the _hell_ are you?" He ignored me, continuing to stare at me.

I glared at him for a moment before I decided that, if he wasn't going to leave, I would. I picked myself up and took a step away from him; I didn't get any farther because, after just another second a wave of pain shot throughout my body, and I clutched at my head desperately, trying to fend off the feeling that someone was drilling a knife into my skull. Lost in myself I failed to notice his hand snaking out of his cloak and over towards me. I didn't even feel it when his he started rubbing up and down my back in a soothing motion, pulling me over towards him and settling me in his lap.

For a moment, I simply lay there, trying to regain my senses as the pain slowly started to fade. It was only then I realized the position I was in with someone I regarded as a total stranger. I pushed him away from me, blushing, although he seemed unfazed. I growled at him before once again picking myself up off the ground. I felt dizzy for a moment, and braced myself against a tree for support.

The man stood up and brushed off his clothing, before looking towards me again. I try to look anywhere except his eyes, hating the feeling they gave me; almost as if they would see straight into my soul and then pick it apart like a specimen in a lab. My eyes flitted around, and I saw a few targets with small knives imbedded into them. My brows knitted together when I realized I didn't recognize the place.

I tried in vain to remember how I got there, but only drew up a blank. I tried to think of what I had been doing before coming to this place, only to be left with the same result. I frowned. I tried to go back farther, only to once again feel that horrible stabbing sensation. I sunk to my knees, gritting my teeth together to keep myself from crying out.

I looked back over at the man, and growled out, "What the hell did you do to me? Why can't I remember anything?" In my anger, I raced over to him, pulling my arm back with every intention of punching him in the face. Just as my fist was about to make contact with his cheek, he suddenly disappeared from my sight, only to grab me from behind, holding my arm at a painful angle behind my back.

He leaned down, his lips almost brushing my ear, and I could feel his breath on my neck. "Don't assume that I'm at fault," he said monotonously. He turned my around in his arms, and for the first time I had a clear view of his face. My breath caught in my throat. Calling the man before me _beautiful_ would be insulting.

Still holding my arms in front of me, he stared at me directly in the eyes, and I found that I couldn't escape his gaze. "Now," he commanded, "tell me anything that you remember." For some reason, I couldn't deny his request.

Searching my almost blank mind for any hint of who I was, the only thing I found was a single word. "Sasuke…" I told him shakily, unable to keep myself from trembling under his cold stare. "That's my name… I think." My voice was uncertain as I told continued, "That's the only thing… that I can remember."

He let go of my arms, and they dropped limply to my sides. He moved his eyes away from me, and I found myself letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The man was intimidating; the way he held himself to the way his piercing red gaze shouted at me that I should run from him, that he wasn't safe. But I found that my pride wouldn't allow me to completely give into him, and I stood my ground as best I could.

Silence reigned thick in the air, and I forced myself not to be the first to give in and break the silence. I felt nervous and uncomfortable being alone in his presence, but I tried not to let it show too obviously. For some reason I didn't want him to think me week. I think it might have been that I almost admired him for being able to make me feel this way so effortlessly. But that was also a contributing factor to my dislike of him.

Just as I was about to cave and ask the man his name, I saw a man suddenly jump down from the trees overhead. "Itachi-san, there you are. Why the hell did you run off like that?" he asked. I stood there, completely shocked. And although his entrance had initially startled me, it was the man's appearance that had me stunned: his skin was blue, his face had what looked distinctly like gills, his eyes were beady and had a cruel look to them, and he looked almost shark-like. The thing that really grabbed my attention, though, was the incredibly large wrapped sword he had casually swung over his shoulder.

The man I had now identified as "Itachi" looked pointedly over at me. The shark-man followed his gaze, and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but a pointed look from Itachi shut him up. He still looked as if he wanted to ask Itachi something, but it seemed as if he knew better than to challenge the smaller man.

I had just come back to myself when Itachi started walking towards me. I looked at him skeptically, but held still. He stopped directly in front of me, his crimson eyes once again sweeping over my body before he said, "Kisame, we'll be postponing the mission momentarily. I first have some private business to take care of."

The shark man- Kisame, if I had heard correctly- looked at me again, before turning back to Itachi. "I'm not so sure about that, Itachi-san, we don't exactly have that much time left-"

Itachi cut Kisame off, "We still have two weeks time in which we can complete the mission. I can guarantee that this won't take any more time than that." Although Kisame still seemed doubtful, he kept it to himself before leaping back into the trees and disappearing from view.

"Sasuke-kun," he said, "you'll be staying with me for a while."

I didn't have the heart- or sufficient reason- to protest.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

To be continued…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A/N: I'll admit it wasn't very long, but I wrote what I found fitting to be in Sasuke's point of view. Don't mind the way I'm writing this, please. It's just that there are some parts that I really think would go over much better form a particular point of view, and I want to make this story the best I can.

Oh yeah, Itachi called Sasuke "Sasuke-kun" because that's the proper way to address a younger male, not because of any Oro-influences. He didn't use call Kisame "Kisame-san" or anything of the sort because A) I can't remember if he does in the show, and B) Itachi really doesn't seem to respect Kisame all that much (and I'm not a huge Kisame fan, although he can be amusing in fanfiction).

So please continue to read, and REVIEW! It makes me quite happy.

Oh yeah, I'm putting my other story on hold for now, so this might get updated a bit more often.

On the other hand, school is starting in a few days (I hate school…) so might updates might be at very odd intervals and vary in length ANYWAY. Sorry about that. I'll try my hardest to get as much done before then as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I've already said it twice, so you should've figured it out by now._

A/N: This chapter is told from Itachi's POV.

**Chapter Three**

He was still glaring at me.

Although he wasn't verbally protesting to my presence, I could see that he didn't like the idea of depending on someone he didn't know. He obviously didn't trust me, although I hadn't given him a specific reason why to not; the same could be said for the opposite.

It was odd: for the first time in almost five years I was within spitting distance of my brother, and I had no idea what I was going to say to him. Inside my mind, I had come up with plenty of different things to say to him, depending on how strong he had become: either "not enough hatefulness", "you are week", or something of the sort. If by some miracle he had managed to become stronger than me in such a short amount of time- which I doubted- I had contemplated telling him the truth.

I hadn't come up with a plan in case of memory loss.

I led him through the forest at a pace I knew he could keep, heading towards a large cave I had seen near the edge of the forest. I would have liked to have some better accommodations, but the only village within a day's walking distance was Konoha, and I didn't have a death wish: I doubted I would have been able to fend off ANBU, jounin, and chuunin while keeping an eye on my brother at the same time. Even geniuses have their limits.

It was a good hour before we finally came to our destination. When Sasuke laid his eyes on the place we would be staying for the next two weeks, I saw him scowl in distaste. For a moment I wondered if he remembered living in the luxury being a member of the Uchiha clan provided, before harshly stomping the idea out; it was highly unlikely that he would remember such a small an insignificant piece of information. No, Sasuke simply wasn't excited about the prospect of camping out in a damp cave with bugs crawling all around the floor. The horrid smell obviously wasn't helping.

I couldn't say I blamed him.

Turning to him, I said, "We'll be staying here for a while, make yourself comfortable." He scoffed at this, and kicked his foot angrily before stalking into the cave. A smile crossed my lips. He always did what I asked of him.

"_Hate me."_

The smile faded, and I closed my eyes for a moment, willing the words to leave me. I didn't like to be reminded of what I had done to him. Although I felt little guilt for the action, the consequences were regrettable: I didn't ever expect Sasuke would be able to forgive me. I didn't think that I particularly deserved to be forgiven.

"Sasuke-kun," I called out gently, knowing that he was watching me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him flush lightly, and I bit back a smirk. "I'm going out to collect fire wood, and to find something to eat. You may come with me if you wish to."

I hadn't thought he would want to come. As a child, he would follow me anywhere, no matter how much trouble it would be for me; he no longer had that admiration of me to motivate him. So it was more than a bit surprising when he came back towards me, hands buried in his pockets, scowling at me. I simply stood there for a moment.

"Well, are we going to go or not?" He asked irritably. I didn't move. His scowled deepened. "What? I'm only going with you to see if anything jogs a memory; I don't think that sitting in a rank cave is going to help very much."

My eyes lingered on him for another minute, and inwardly I was grinning ridiculously. Despite his defense, or perhaps because of it, I was sure that there was another reason he was coming. I couldn't help but hope beyond hope that he really did just want to spend time with me.

I turned from him and started walking towards a stream I had seen nearby, and I heard his footsteps as he started after me; although I could still feel the heat of his glare upon the back of my head, I couldn't quell the feeling inside of me at the knowledge that his attention was focused on me.

After a few minutes' walk, I discovered that the stream had, in fact, led to a small pond, where the water was clear and the sun shone down on it a the oddest angle, making strange designs appear over the surface. It was a beautiful sight.

I slipped my cloak off of my shoulders and folded it up before laying it on the ground, then using it as a cushion to sit on near the edge of the pond. I slipped out a kunai from its holster and carefully attached a string of chakra to the handle. I threw the kunai out and then withdrew it in one swift motion, simply tugging on the chakra thread to draw it back. There was a fish pinned to the kunai.

I saw Sasuke's eyes widen fractionally. "How did you do that?" he asked me, voice full of awe. I frowned for a moment, realizing that in his state of memory loss he now must've known as little about the ways of the shinobi now as he had before he had started attending the academy; less, honestly, seeing as the Uchiha would never allow one of their own to be so completely ignorant in the subject.

"I simply attached a string of chakra to the kunai, and sensed the chakra source in the lake. Then I threw the kunai. And hence, we now have a fish," I stated calmly. (I suppose that monotone didn't fit very well with the sarcasm.) Although I knew he wouldn't understand anything about chakra, I enjoyed seeing the baffled look on his face. I also enjoyed when that look turned into a glare when he realized I was confusing him purposely.

"Explain."

"Explain what, Sasuke-kun?" I asked, still finding it amusing to give into my moment of childishness. I hadn't lived my childhood when I had the chance, so why not enjoy these moments while I could?

Sasuke's eyes narrowed further. "You know what I meant!" he snapped.

I sighed. My moment was over. "Chakra. It's the spiritual and physical energy that allows all beings to live. In some beings, there is a much larger supply of chakra, and they can then manipulate that chakra in different ways to achieve different ends."

"Nani? In what ways do they manipulate… chakra?" Sasuke asked, pausing for a moment to remember the name.

"Shinobi manipulate their chakra in order to use ninjutsu, genjutsu, and some advanced taijutsu."

"…Shinobi?"

"Ninja."

Sasuke paused for a moment, before meeting my eyes. "That would make you one of them, right?"

I nodded. "Yes."

We were both silent, and I assumed that was the end of the conversation. I was about to turn from my brother when he said abruptly, "Teach me." I looked at him questioningly. "Teach me," he repeated.

I was silent.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

To be continues…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A/N: It's about the same length as the last chapter, and it's not very good. I'm sorry that Itachi wasn't very in character, but since he never really shows a truly distinct personality in the amount of the anime I've seen (113 episodes, now), I'm kind of manipulating his personality for my own gain. Sorry about that, I don't mean to upset anyone.

And to the people who're asking for some more EXTREME action… you perverts! You're as bad as Jiraiya and Kakashi! I can't write that! I can read it (I have absolutely no problem with the lemons, in fact, I love lemony goodness!), but I can't write it. I'm writing on a shared computer, for one, and I wouldn't want either my sister or my mother to find it. I would be banned from fanfiction forever.

Also, I just started the school year, and I'm already sick of it. I hate school. With a burning, fiery passion that matches that of Lee's towards his training, to the opposite extreme! Oh yeah, if anyone can guess what grade I'm in correctly, I'll post the chapter as soon as they do (or, when I read it and I have time to write the chapter)!

Please read and review!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Why am I getting a sense of déjà vu writing this thing? I'm almost positive I've already said I don't own Naruto._

A/N: This chapter is from Sasuke's point of view.

**Chapter Four**

For a moment I felt my heart clench inside of me. It had been a stupid request; for all I knew I could have absolutely no potential, and be completely unable to even attempt the techniques Itachi had described. But then again, to the opposite extreme, I could've already been trained in the shinobi ways, no matter how unlikely it seemed.

Itachi glanced at me, a sad look in his eyes. I don't know why, but for some reason I wanted to know what was making the man seem so sad- before I crushed the urge, stomped on it, and then spit on it before throwing it away into the deepest corner of my mind. I don't know why I would've felt any compassion for him, seeing as my impression of him so far hadn't so great, and I had barely had a conversation with the guy. Hell- I might've just been seeing things, anyways.

"Alright," Itachi said abruptly. I blinked at him; I had been all but sure he was going to flat out refuse (most likely coupled with an insult about how I was too weak, although where the idea came from I wasn't sure- he hadn't said anything particularly rude yet). Slowly, I nodded at him. "Arigato, Itachi-san," I said. Weirdly enough, I actually was grateful.

Itachi reached into a small pouch- the same one he had pulled the knife from earlier, and tossed me the kunai. I caught it easily enough, but nicked a finger a bit on the sharp blade. I tried not to wince noticeably, but Itachi's sharp eyes caught it. He expression remained the same, but I could tell he wasn't pleased as he said, "Be more careful, Sasuke-kun. Make sure to always catch the blade by the handle, from now on."

I nodded and bowed my head, trying to hide my burning cheeks from view. I didn't like screwing up in front of Itachi. His overall attitude screamed superiority, and it made me feel pathetic an insignificant. I didn't like the feeling, which was probably the main reason I found myself unable to let go of my initial dislike of him, despite the fact he was caring for me (sort of) with no reason (as far as I could tell).

He walked closer to where I stood, and took my hand in his. I tried not to turn redder than I already was, cursing mentally at my inability to properly rein my emotions. Maybe later I'd ask him how he always managed to seem so calm and collected. I supposed that would sound a bit stupid though, so I stuffed it in the back with my other unwanted urges. As he held my hand he adjusted my grip on the kunai, and then- standing directly in front of me- placed the tip against the left side of his chest.

"Try and hit me right here," he said, voice as dry as ever despite the fact he had basically just told me to try and kill him. I voiced my opinion. "Are you insane! You want me to try and stab you in the heart while you're three feet in front of me!"

He nodded passively. "Obviously," he said, raising an eyebrow. "If you're actually worried that you would injure me, you can put your mind at ease. It's near impossible that I wouldn't be able to block such a simple attack; beside, your aim in most likely so terrible you'd miss me even from this distance."

Growling angrily, I shouted, "Shut up, teme!" Before I even realized it, I had thrown the kunai as hard as I could. A fraction of a second later I heard the clank of metal on metal, and my kunai was on the ground a few feet from Itachi, firmly imbedded in the dirt.

Itachi frowned a bit, "A shinobi should never let his anger control his reactions, Sasuke-kun. _Demo_... it was a fairly accurate shot. It wouldn't have pierced my heart, but it would've been a fatal wound in most cases."

I wasn't sure if I should be angry at his insult of cheered by his almost-compliment. Caught be indecision, I simply folded my arms and grunted, looking away from him. He was a frustrating person, even if he wasn't trying to be, and the way I reacted was my own fault for being easily irritated.

Ignoring my reaction, Itachi pulled the kunai from the ground and tossed it back to me. This time I managed to catch it by the hilt, avoided further injury to my hand. I looked at Itachi, and then at the kunai. I tried to imagine it flying into his chest. Not exactly the most inspiring thought, but it was the best I could do.

I felt the weight of the kunai in my hand, unconsciously measuring out the proper amount of strength it would require to throw it accurately. Then, I simply threw it- not particularly hard, as I was aiming more for accuracy. Instead of blocking it like last time, Itachi caught it in his hands, holding it but a centimeter away from his chest.

"Better," he said. "The aim is good. Now try throwing it with the same accuracy, but apply more force. Even if the kunai was accurate, if I was more than twenty feet away, it probably wouldn't have even reached me."

He once again handed the kunai back to me. I threw it at him, doing as he said. This process continued for a good hour following, and slowly Itachi started distancing himself from me. He halted me once he was three meters away, and pointed out that my aim was beginning to be a bit off. I tried my hardest to correct this, and I almost thought I saw him smile when I got it right. I told myself I was seeing things.

It was dark when we finished, and I felt like my arm was going to fall off. I told myself that it was to be expected; training for seven hours could exhaust just about anyone. But, despite what I was telling myself, Itachi didn't look in the least bit tired. On the walk back I decided that glaring at his back would help relieve me of my frustration at being so inferior. Of course, the fact I had only been training for a day didn't dissuade me, but most likely fueled the flame. But I guess that would be flawed logic.

Whatever; not like I cared.

Until we were back in our cave (it still smelled like shit) and Itachi was setting up a fire and cooking the fish he had caught I hadn't realized how hungry I was. I supposed I hadn't eaten all day. Actually, I had no idea when the last time I had eaten was. But it must've been a quite a while ago because I was famished.

When Itachi offered me a fish, I instantly bit down into it, ignoring the burning of my tongue and throat as I downed the thing in what I guessed could've been record time. For the second time, I could've sworn I saw the corners of Itachi's mouth twitch upwards in an almost smile. I once again convinced myself I was delusional (not a pleasant thought really- add on hallucinations to amnesia and I'd got one screwed up psyche).

That night, I slept peacefully, with a nice feeling of someone who loved me watching over me.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

To be continued…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A/N: Hey, sorry it took me so long to update, and the chapter isn't even that long. I've been kinda busy lately, though, I've been sick over the weekend (I stayed home from school today). So I hope that you can appreciate that I did try to get up this chapter as soon as I had it written. I didn't move the plot along too much, but I did a pretty good job of helping to establish the relationship between Sasuke and Itachi a bit more. And that comment at the end of the chapter threw in just a bit of implied ItaSasu.

Oh yeah, and about the age thing… you guys were damn close. I'm not in ninth grade- I'm in eighth. That's the main reason I'm not going to write a lemon in this… I'd embarrass myself to the point where I'd probably never be the same color again.

Please read and review! I'll try and update sooner next time!


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Just like I didn't own Naruto in any of the previous four chapters._

A/N: Dreams are in italics. This chapter is from Itachi's POV.

**Chapter Five**

He looked so innocent when he was sleeping; just like he did back then. Even on my first impression of this new Sasuke, I could see that there was a built in wariness of anything he didn't recognize that all shinobi had built into themselves. It wasn't something you could forget, as it wasn't a memory, but a specific trait that had attached itself to your personality.

I couldn't help but feel a little proud of my little brother. Even after all these years he was still listening to me: I had told him to be stronger in order to kill me, and he had obviously been training himself. Any other genin would've passed out after the first five hours, and most chuunin would have been just as exhausted as he was by the end.

But still, there was a lingering guilt that maybe I was pushing him too hard, expecting too much from someone so young. The same way Otou-san had with me. It was an unpleasant thought; one of the reasons I had been uncomfortable around the man was the fact I had always felt that I was a tool to further the reputation of the clan, and not his son. Of course, discomfort was something most people at my age experienced around their parents. My hatred had only been born a short time after I had been initiated into ANBU….

I tried to clear myself of those thoughts. I didn't want to get worked up over something that had happened years ago; the rise in my chakra would most likely wake Sasuke (another instinct that a shinobi wasn't likely to forget). I breathed in deeply, exhaled, and closed my eyes. Even after all of these years, I could not bring myself to regret what I had done. I would do anything to protect Sasuke.

Once again, I looked over at my Otouto. I briefly wondered what would once the two weeks I had been allotted were up. Would Kisame- being the idiot lug he is- try and take me away from Sasuke (he would be unintelligent enough to try), or would Sasuke leave on his own? Would he have retrieved his memories by then? If so… would he still hate me- would he still be a good little brother and kill me… would he remember all that had happened during his time with me? I had read somewhere that when someone recovers from amnesia, they lose all their memories from the amnesiac state.

For a moment I questioned if it was a good idea to keep Sasuke with me during this time: after all, if he did remember this his motivation and hatred might waver, and then he might not be able to kill me. I could have that happening: it was his job to kill me for what I've done, to protect himself from me, so I can't hurt him anymore. He needs to be strong to kill me, to prove that he can protect himself and that I can die in peace without regret, knowing my little brother is safe.

It was a moment later that I realized it would be stupid to leave Sasuke. He was in no state to protect or care for himself under these conditions, and I didn't trust anyone back in Konoha to be able to take ample care of him. So the only person who was fit to look after Sasuke was me, and I wouldn't abandon him again.

Hesitantly, I reached out to him, laying my hand softly on his head, running my fingers through his soft, midnight hair. His lips curled into a small contented smile and he sighed softly. He looked so beautiful; he was a temptation to all those who saw him, and it was a wonder no one had yet been able to claim him. Thinking back to when we were younger, I vaguely remembered that whenever I brought my little brother out, there would always be a large flock of young girls- I tried to think of an appropriate word- _stalking_ us. It had always made me feel a bit jealous, until I realized that Sasuke didn't even notice that they were there.

I smiled a bit; no one would notice if they weren't looking for it, and even then only someone who knew me well would've been able to see it. It seemed that Sasuke had that effect on me: he always made me feel so light inside, keeping me locked in an almost constant state of ecstasy. "Do you know what you do to me, Otouto…?" I asked him softly, my thumb running across his cheek. The skin felt so soft under my calloused fingers. He seemed so young.

But how do you really measure age? Days? Months? Years? In a world where an adult could be light hearted and naïve, and someone considered to be a child was battle hardened and wise, do physical age and appearance even matter?

I shouldn't, I decided. Then again, being able to distract someone with your appearance could be useful; the ability to confuse someone with looks alone makes it easier to hide in plane sight. They see you, but they would never feel threatened by you until you have a kunai pressed to their throat.

I sighed and pulled my hand away from Sasuke. There was no need for him to be angry with me when he woke up to see me invading his personal space (we Uchihas like to have a personal bubble). Although there was no blatant animosity between us, any action that would particularly irk Sasuke could end up having him cut off any and all communication between us for an unspecified amount of time; easily long enough for him to get himself killed while being to damn stubborn to call for help if I wasn't watching him.

Then again, Sasuke would probably do that anyways.

I sighed again, remembering a time when Sasuke would always come to me for help, despite the opportunity to ask either Otou-san or Okaa-san. Despite my busy schedule and constantly pushing him away, he would always come to me for help with shuriken practice. I found it rather ironic that it had taken me so many years to finally help him, despite my constant telling of "tomorrow".

My internal calendar must've been seriously screwed.

I stood up and walked over to the other side of the cave, my vision relatively clear despite the dark because of my active sharingan, and sat down again in an attempt to sleep. I knew that my brother would be fine by the next morning, and most likely anxious to consider his training. I may have had good endurance and an excess of chakra, but I doubted that I would've managed to be in a good enough mood to bother re-teaching my brother things he was already supposed to know if I tried to run on no sleep.

As my eyes finally drifted closed, exhaustion finally overtaking my active mind, I found myself relieved that Kisame wasn't here, as his grating voice most likely would have been the only thing in this world that could've kept me awake.

That, and Orochimaru doing the cha-cha with the Hokage naked. That probably would've done the trick.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

_I was so damned tired. I could barely bring myself to pick up each foot to bring myself into my room. I cursed whoever had decided to give me a room on the far end of the house. I had to walk past so many damned rooms! The kitchen, the bathroom, the mostly un-used family room, my father's study, the rooms of several close relatives, the council chambers…._

_I halted suddenly when I heard voices coming from said room. They were angry, loud voices- those I had quickly come to associate with pissed-off elder Uchihas telling off another, most likely equally as pissed-off, Uchiha. I was about to walk past the council chambers, uninterested in the inner workings of our oh-so-egotistical clan, when I was stopped in my tracks by the mention of my younger brother's name._

_My eyes narrowing, I suppressed my chakra as best I could (not as if I had much left after a particularly troublesome mission from ANBU), and walked silently over closer to the doors. "…crazy! Where the hell did you think up such an idiotic idea!" It took less than a second for me to realize that the voice was that of my own normally sweat and gentle mother._

_It was Otou-san that spoke up next. "Please, Mikoto, you have to understand that this is what is best for the clan—"_

"_How can you say that sacrificing my little boy to a mad man is the best thing for the clan! If you're so damn noble, why don't any of you go yourselves! Why are you willing to sacrifice a child for your own selfishness!" she cried, the betrayal in her voice cutting deep into my heart. It was my mother's cry that first made me hate my clan._

"_You can't understand, Mikoto-san," said another voice, one I couldn't quite put a name to, but I realized was one of the more prominent figures of the Uchihas. "You were not born into the main house, and so cannot understand that this is the best way to keep our clan flourishing. If not Sasuke, than whom else?"_

_My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment my heart stopped._

_Sasuke. They wanted to sacrifice _my _Sasuke._

"_Why not anyone else? Why not one of you elders! You preach that you would do anything for the clan and its members, but you're willing to sacrifice a little boy for your own survival! Why don't you just fight him if you're all so great? Why not die yourselves for the _honor _of the goddamned clan! Why don't you—"_

"_Silence, kisama! Our decision is made. We will give Sasuke to Orochimaru, and then he will leave us in peace. Once he had made the transfer complete, we will kill him. As Sasuke is still young and week, it should be easy. Our decision is final."_

_There was silence for a moment, before Okaa-san spoke up. I hoped that what ever she said could make a difference, that she could—"Fine"._

_And that was the moment I learned to hate my mother. It was also the moment I decided to kill our clan. For Sasuke._

_I would do anything for Sasuke…_

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A moment later I was dreaming of a naked Orochimaru and Sandaime doing the cha-cha together.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

To be continued…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A/N: Come on, reviewers! Give me some love for that chapter! It was almost 1800 words! That, and I finally told you why Itachi killed the clan! Do you think it was a good reason? Was it original? Or is it already used (overused)? Did you like the way I ended it? I thought it was pretty humorous.

Please review! Come on, there are fifteen of you getting this on your author's alert, show me some love! I'll update even faster (maybe)!


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Of course I own Naruto! That's why I'm writing a fanfic instead of putting this into the series. Obviously, I'm Kishimoto Masashi, despite the fact I'm not the same gender, age, or nationality. Sense the sarcasm._

A/N: Italics are a flashback. This chapter is from THIRD PERSON POV, because there is very little Itachi and Sasuke, as I needed to show you the others to actually show you that this story does indeed have a plot.

**Chapter Six**

When Kakashi hadn't seen his student around his apartment, he hadn't been surprised. After all, the Uchiha wouldn't exactly be one to actually use a day off to actually _take the day off_. No, he was probably somewhere out, training his cute little ass off so he could finally be strong enough to take on his brother and avenge their clan. So, he had simply left a note telling the boy to come to the bridge at exactly seven o'clock the next morning.

Not that _he_ would be there at seven o'clock.

But, when he came across Sakura and Naruto standing on the bridge, talking about something or other ("Hah! I got here before Sasuke-teme! Take that, jackass!" "Urusai, baka!"), he had been a little bit surprised to discover that Sasuke wasn't there at all. This, of course, was not like the Uchiha. Sasuke always had to be precisely on time: never early, never late. (A concept Kakashi himself had a hard time understanding…)

So, obviously, he did the first thing that came to mind: completely ignore it, and try to come up with a believable lie about his four hour lateness. "Well, you see, I was on my way here when I came across this old lady walking across the street. She got attacked by some missing nin, and her groceries got destroyed, so I had to go shopping for her—"

"LIAR!"

So much for believable.

There was silence for a few moments before, finally, Sakura gave in and asked, "Ano, Kaka-sensei, where's Sasuke-kun?" It took another half a second before Naruto stuck in his two bits. "Yeah, Kaka-sensei! That bastard--" POW "—is always here on time! I mean, you think it would kill him to be late!" POW.

So, as Naruto nursed two large bumps now forming on the top of his oh-so-empty head, Kakashi shrugged. "Who knows… maybe he's simply sick?" Kakashi suggested. Naruto's eyes gleamed evilly at the thought.

"Oh… so Sasuke-teme can get sick?" he joked. "But wouldn't that mean that the Ice Bastard is human? Gasp… can today get any more shocking?" Naruto's twin bumps quickly were joined by three others and a welt on his shin. "Aw… Sakura-chan, why do you have to be so mean?" POW.

Kakashi had somehow managed to miss the entire scene past his own line, buried in the nice, cozy world of Icha Icha Paradise.

Naruto, finally recovering from a kick to the head that had sent him spiraling into a tree (amazing what an angry Kunoichi can do), limped back towards Kakashi. "Ne, Kaka-sensei, I'm gonna go see if Sasuke's alright. Sayonara, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, running past the still steaming Kunoichi and the pervert.

Glancing up from his book, Kakashi's one visible eye crinkled in mirth. He couldn't help from noticing that Naruto had left out the customary 'teme' attached to Sasuke's name. Maybe his little fox was beginning to grow up.

"ITADAKIMASUUUU!"

Or not.

Kakashi was beginning to wonder where the boy stored all that ramen…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Naruto was worried. He'd never admit it (you were more likely to get a confession of undying love for Chouji), but he was truly worried about his long-time rival. The Uchiha had always seemed so invincible; so far away from all the things that normal people had to deal with, it was hard to imagine it was even possible for Konoha's number one rookie to get sick.

So, as he slurped away at his ramen, oblivious to the disgusted stare he was receiving from the elderly man on the other side of the bar, he tried his hardest to quell the uneasy feeling in his stomach, as if something had gone horribly wrong. After all, what was one lousy cold going to do to the Ice Bastard of Konoha?

"Ne, ojii-san!" Naruto called. Old man Ichiraku turned around to look at his favorite customer. "Hai, Naruto-kun?" he asked, a large grin plastered onto his face. He always made a fortune off of the blond genin, and had come to think of his almost as a wayward nephew.

"Could you get me one miso ramen to go?" he asked hopefully. Ichiraku didn't normally do take-out, but he hoped that the old man would do him a favor.

Smiling at the young Kyuubi holder, Ichiraku replied, "Sure." He paused for a moment, before turning his back on Naruto, and dishing out the ramen. "So," he asked conversationally, "what's the occasion? This is the first time you've ever requested take-out."

Naruto smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you see, a friend of mine's kinda sick, so I thought that maybe I'd bring him some ramen; you know, as a "Get Better Soon, you Bastard!" kinda thing."

Ichiraku laughed good heartedly at Naruto's choice of words. "So, you mean the Uchiha kid?"

Blinking, Naruto asked, "How do you know that?"

Still chuckling, Ichiraku replied, "At least once a week you come in here with Iruka-sensei and complain about him. I almost feel like I know him, the amount of time you spend talking about the boy!"

Naruto blushed and looked away, a small pout on his face. "I don't complain all that much, ojii-san. Don't blow thinks out of proportion," he muttered.

Ichiraku continued to chuckle at the boy, but made a point of dropping the subject. Handing Naruto his ramen, he said, "Here you go, Naruto-kun. Hope Uchiha-san gets better soon."

Grinning foxily, Naruto nodded. "I'll tell him you said that, ojii-san! Thanks for the ramen!" he yelled out, waving his hand frantically as he ran away from the ramen stand.

Ichiraku sighed a bit, his smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth. "That boy really does know how to keep you grinning."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

Naruto had been wandering around the village for about half an hour before he finally realized he had no idea where Sasuke lived. Feeling a bit disheartened, Naruto sighed and decided to head back to his own apartment. "Oh well," he muttered, "better not waste perfectly good ramen… I hope it's not too cold…"

"Oi, Naruto!" Head snapping up at the sound of his name, Naruto spun around to find a smiling pink haired Kunoichi waving at his from a distance. Grinning, he ran over to the object of his affections. "Sakura-chan! You've come to see me after finally realizing your undying love for me!" He squealed, flinging himself at the girl.

Naruto was stopped dead in his tracks by Sakura's outstretched fist slamming into his cheek. Landing harshly on the ground, Naruto rubbed his now bruising face. "Ne, Sakura-chan, why do you always have to be so mean to me?"

Huffing, Sakura crossed her arms in annoyance. "I'm mean to you because you're an idiot, Naruto, and if I don't discipline you, who else will? Besides, I know for a fact that you don't know where Sasuke-kun lives, so I thought that maybe- just MAYBE- I'd show you how to get there," she said.

A ridiculous grin once again in place on his face, Naruto hopped up, the bruise on his cheek already fading. "Arigato, Sakura-chan! Let's make it a date!" POW.

"Come on Naruto, let's go," Sakura said huffily, crossing her arms and walking away from Naruto's slumped figure, who laid still on the ground, not trusting himself to be walking around with a concussion just yet. Naruto couldn't help but wonder where Sakura got all that strength to beat him when she always freaked during a fight…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Hokage-sama."

The old man looked up from his pipe and turned to face the intruder. "What is it, Kakashi? You know full well that you and your team don't have any mission scheduled for another week, so what is it that has you running here to this old man?" asked Sarutobi curiously. Kakashi wasn't exactly one for doing anything that would require more than minimal effort when he had a choice in the matter, so he ruled out "social call" as Kakashi's reason for popping up in his office.

"I'd like to report a missing person," Kakashi said, the seriousness of his tone indicating he wasn't joking. "Uchiha Sasuke has turned up missing. No one's seen him for a couple days."

Sarutobi's eyes widened fractionally. Losing the last Uchiha could be a heavy blow to Konohagakure. He needed to act quickly, but his actions needed to be calculated and precise. He needed more information. "Can you tell if he left of his own will, or if an outside party was involved?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Iie. Not yet, at least. I suspect, though, that Sasuke wouldn't leave the village by choice. I know for a fact that his priority right now is to become strong enough to avenge his clan, so it's unlikely that he would leave Konoha until he felt that he was strong enough to take on Uchiha Itachi. I don't believe that Sasuke is fool enough to think himself as strong as an S-class missing nin."

Eyes narrowing, Sarutobi nodded in understanding. "I see. You're suggesting that someone took him, then? If you are, just who is it you're implicating?"

The jounin shrugged and turned away. "I don't know, Hokage-sama. Forgive me for my ignorance. Once I've found something out, I'll report it right away." With that, Kakashi disappeared in a small puff of smoke.

Slumping back in his chair, Sarutobi sighed. The Uchihas were a pain in the ass.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

When Naruto had pictured Sasuke apartment, he had imagined anything but this. The image in his mind consisted of an eighteen room home (not exactly apartment sized, but Naruto was never known for logic or brains) with the Uchiha fan plastered on every flat surface (including the TV). He definitely had not imagined a small little thing with only a small kitchen, bedroom, and a bathroom, with books and scrolls squished into just about every place they could fit (and some they obviously did not fit).

The only furniture was the stove, a small table, a bed, and a few large bookcases shoved up against the walls. The place was sparsely decorated, and gave no hint of the inhabitants personality. Unlike Naruto's mental picture, there was absolutely no indication it was an Uchiha living there.

The other thing there was no hint of was the Uchiha himself.

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Where the hell are you?" Naruto called into the house, though it really wasn't necessary. He could see that the place was quite empty; there was no sign of Sasuke anywhere, and there wasn't a place to hide in the small apartment.

"Sasuke-kun…" he heard Sakura whimper.

Shit.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

It was dark. That was the first thing that hit him as he walked into the room. It was always the first thing he noticed; the sudden and intrusive lack of lighting that made him feel dizzy and disoriented before his eyes finally adjusted. "Orochimaru-sama... are you sure this was a good idea?" he asked hesitantly.

"Kabuto-kun," the voice sent chills down his spine, "are you doubting me? Is your loyalty in my abilities failing you? If so, I could always… re-inspire you."

He supposed one of the main reasons he stayed with Orochimaru was fear. There was respect, and there was definitely loyalty, but mostly fear. The snake Sannin was easily the most powerful and by far the most intimidating man Kabuto had ever met. He didn't want to get on his master's bad side.

"Sumimasen, Orochimaru-sama. I did not mean to be insubordinate. Please, forgive my impudence," Kabuto said. He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "It's simply that I have a hard time understanding why you are so intent on taking the Uchiha boy. I know that his bloodline interests you, but—"

"Kabuto-kun," Orochimaru interrupted. Kabuto suppressed a shiver. "You shouldn't try to understand things that are simply beyond your comprehension. The Uchiha's kekkei genkai is incredible… I need to study it… to possess it…"

Kabuto nodded, before excusing himself and leaving his master's chambers. He stumbled a bit when the light hit his eyes again, once again leaving him with a heady feeling. He continued his way down the corridors by memory alone, and headed back to the infirmary. He had to take care of Kimimaro-kun… or what was left of him…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

_Sweat ran down the Uchiha's body as he once again battled against kage bunshins, a technique he had copied from Naruto. It was useful for training, despite the fact he would never bring himself to actually use it in real combat; he wasn't going to steal the dobe's signature move._

_Just as the last of the clones puffed out of existence, he sensed an unfamiliar chakra approaching him. Standing ready, he kept his sharingan out and his senses spread out. He wasn't going to let anyone catch him by surprise._

_It was with a good deal of skill and luck he managed to dodge the two needles that came at him seemingly out of nowhere. Turning to face the direction they had come from, he saw a single white haired boy approaching him._

_The boy was taller than he by a noticeable amount, and appeared to be able fifteen or sixteen, despite the white hair he had tied back in a ponytail. He wore large glasses that covered his eyes, but Sasuke could tell from his expression he was enjoying himself. Sasuke also took notice of the forehead protector, which had on it a musical note._

_Scowling at the teen, Sasuke threw a few kunai the stranger's way. They were easily blocked, and Sasuke was given not even a second to dodge another senbon. He couldn't help but have an unpleasant flashback of his fight with Haku._

"_Who are you?" Sasuke asked._

_The teen continued smirking. "I doesn't really matter, Sasuke-kun;" Sasuke tensed at the use of his name "after all, what good is it to learn something that you're only going to forget anyway?"_

_Before Sasuke could react at all, the older boy was behind him, and a senbon needle was sticking out of his shoulder. Just as he was about to turn around and stab him with a kunai, Sasuke collapsed on the ground, writhing around in pain. The teen leaned over and whispered in Sasuke's ear, "Don't worry Sasuke-kun. You're not going to die; you're just going to forget for a while. This poison, instead of attacking your organs directly, infects the chakra circulatory system. Since it is so deeply intertwined with your vitals- like your brain- I can manipulate your chakra to do just about whatever I want to your body. I suppose that I could kill you."_

_Kabuto smirked. "But don't worry. That defeats the whole purpose of Orochimaru-sama sending me here. We're going to use this poison to manipulate your brain into temporarily erasing its memory. But don't worry; it'll all be back in a couple weeks- just long enough for Orochimaru-sama to get exactly what he wants from you."_

_Kabuto turned away from Sasuke, ignoring the pained cries coming form the young Uchiha. His part in this was done. He turned for a moment to see he master heading towards Sasuke, and felt a swell of perverse happiness at what the sharingan wielder must've been suffering, and what more Orochimaru-sama was planning to inflict._

"_Sayonara Sasuke-kun, see you when your brother's dead."_

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

"Stop poking me," Sasuke grumbled.

"Not until you get up, Sasuke-kun."

Groaning, Sasuke sat up and turned to the other man. "You're evil, Itachi-san."

A small smirk formed on Itachi's normally expressionless face. "So I've been told."

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

To be continued…

**. . . . . . . . . . . . .**

A/N: HAH! 2600 words! You guys better review this chapter, seeing as it's twice as long as the last one! Come on, show me some lover my precious little reviewers! You guys make my life rock!

Oh yeah, on another note, I'm going to Disney for a few days for the long weekend (seeing as this is the only time of year my family could afford), so I probably won't update for at least another week.

Please continue to read and review, tell me if I've got any horrid spelling or grammar mistakes, or if I've butchered any of the Japanese! Also compliment me and give me a huge ego! Because we need more arrogant people in the world!


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